ENGT5260: Recommendations for Waste Reduction and Resource Use Report

This report delves into the critical aspects of waste management, emphasizing waste reduction and improved resource utilization. It begins by defining waste reduction and its importance, highlighting techniques such as optimization of resources, reusing scrap materials, process monitoring, waste exchange, and the concept of zero waste. The report then explores various waste reduction life cycles, including cradle-to-grave, cradle-to-gate, and cradle-to-cradle designs, with a detailed examination of the cradle-to-cradle approach. It discusses the challenges associated with this design and offers design recommendations for fostering sustainable industrial systems. The report covers waste reduction techniques, benefits, and importance, alongside different life cycle assessments. The report aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of waste management principles and practices for a more sustainable future.

Running head: Waste management
Recommendations for waste reduction and improved resource use
Name of Student
Name of the University
Author notes

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Waste reduction..........................................................................................................................2
Importance of waste reduction...............................................................................................4
Waste reduction techniques........................................................................................................4
Optimization of resources......................................................................................................4
Reusing the scrap materials....................................................................................................4
Process monitoring and improvement of quality control.......................................................5
Exchange of waste..................................................................................................................5
Zero waste..............................................................................................................................5
Waste reduction life cycle..........................................................................................................5
Cradle-to-grave design...........................................................................................................5
Cradle-to-gate.........................................................................................................................6
Cradle-to-cradle design..........................................................................................................6
Design of Cradle to cradle life cycle..................................................................................7
Challenges of cradle to cradle design.................................................................................8
Design recommendations...........................................................................................................9
Conclusion................................................................................................................................11
Reference..................................................................................................................................12

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Introduction
One step ahead of the recycling, waste reduction is the process of using minimal
material as well as energy for minimizing increasing waste generation, thus preserving the
natural resources. The process mainly incorporates several ways for preventing natural
resources from ending up before they make it to the recycling stages (Papargyropoulou et al
2014). This process mainly involves reusing several products such as glass containers,
plastic, purchasing of more durable products, and utilizing the reusable products. Saving the
economic and energy is another main intention of this process. Comparatively less energy
and lesser materials are used while the waste-reduction practices are carried out. Overall,
numerous environmental benefits such as, greater efficiency, preserving the natural resources,
less solid waste and many others can be achieved by conducting efficient waste reduction
practices (Rhyner et al. 2017). Other important benefits of waste reduction can be gathered in
terms of conserving the landfill space, resources, saving energy and less pollution to the
environment. Likewise, for avoiding severe environmental, social and supply chain
consequences, it is important to focus on less resource use. This report is going to give a brief
discussion about the waste reduction and importance of resource use. In addition, the suitable
life cycle for this process and the necessary design recommendations for this process is going
to be discussed here.
Waste reduction
Waste reduction or minimization describes a process of limiting the total amount of
generated waste thus helping in forming a better environment. It focuses on eliminating
higher the production of the harmful and persistent wastes and hence, supports and
encourages several practices and efforts for creating and promoting a successful society
(Zaman and Lehmann 2013). Therefore, the main objective of waste minimization includes

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changing the societal patterns related to production, consumption as well as redesigning of
different products for nullifying the increasing generation of waste (Yuan 2013). The entire
process of waste reduction falls into three main categories: reduce, reuse and recycle, which
can be explained as follows.
Reduce: It focuses on using different of resources which are just enough or simply required
for catering one’s need. The main intention of this process is to conserve the resources as it
also lowers the costs.
Reuse: Another approach of reducing the waste can be reusing the resource and materials. A
greater percentage of materials and resources are incorporated in several processes, thus
finding out which materials can be reused multiple times can reduce the amount of waste
(Fercoq, Lamouri and Carbone 2016).
Recycle: Materials like glass, plastic and many such can go through a recycling process and
hence, minimizing the total amount of environmental waste and pollutions.
Below is a list of benefits achieved by successful waste reduction approach.
Improve the quality of product: Emerging technological innovations and practices are not
only beneficial in eliminating the waste generation but also efficiently contributing towards
enhancing the quality of different products (Ding et al. 2016).
Higher economic benefits: Efficiency achieved in the product use leads to minimize the
purchasing costs and use of raw materials and hence affecting financial the performance
significantly.
Environmental responsibilities: Several environmental standards, policies, as well as
regulations can be achieved by waste reduction process. In addition, environmental
consciousness among the individuals will also be increase.

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Importance of waste reduction
There are several reasons for which reducing or recycling the waste is essential.
Increasing environmental concern for creating a safer place for all the living being is the most
talked reasons. Discussing about the economic importance, purchasing the needy item and
reusing the suitable ones can save money. Another main reasons of reducing waste is to
conserve space in the landfills as it will minimize the requirement of building more number
of landfills, and hence reducing the air and water pollution majorly. In addition, sufficient
availability and use of resource can be achieved. Petroleum, aluminium, and many such
resources can be used to create new materials such as cans, plastic bags, paper and packaging.
This process uses minimal energy and materials. Improved refining, manufacturing and
mining can lead towards a better environment and better future. Thus, managing and reducing
the generated waste is essential.
Waste reduction techniques
Optimization of resources
In order to minimize the total quantity of waste produced by different organizations or
even individuals can go for optimization of the use of raw materials utilized in the
production. Organizations can use the technique for completing their undertaken project in
the available resources.
Reusing the scrap materials
Incorporating scraps in starting phase of manufacturing is an efficient way for
ensuring that they will not create higher products wastage and landfills. Many industries has
effectively accepted this process for reducing the manufacturing costs and waste produced
during this process.

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Process monitoring and improvement of quality control
Measures can be done to identify as well as control the total number of rejects and
making sure that it is at a minimal stage. This can be achieved by enhancing the frequency of
inspection and number of inspection points (Modi and Thakkar 2014).
Exchange of waste
Exchange of waste is almost similar to reuse of products. It explains that waste
products from a particular process can be used as essential raw material for any other process.
This can successfully minimize the volume of waste disposal.
Zero waste
This technique focuses on eliminating waste from every single point of the supply
chain and the source and ensures that no further waste is produced (Song, Li and Zeng 2015).
The primary objectives of this design philosophy is to prioritise the waste prevention in final
stage of the production rather than focusing on the waste management.
Waste reduction life cycle
There exist several kind of designing approach for performing waste reduction. These
can be categorized in to forms like cradle-to-grave, cradle-to-gate, cradle-to-cradle and gate-
to-gate. All these approaches operates with a common goal of reducing the amount of waste,
thus creating a better environment.
Cradle-to-grave design
The cradle to grave design approach explains boundaries of the embodied energy
assessments that involves estimation of the whole energy consumption of a product or
process. It explains that organization need to focus on minimizing the production wastes as
much as possible. Firms undertake this type of life cycle assessment, in order to understand

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and analyse their overall environmental impact (Victor B. de Souza and Cesar R. Carpinetti,
2014). Mainly three major things are done by this type of design: collection, evaluation and
interpretation of the data related to the environmental impact of it. There exist five stages of
this life cycle assessment, these are as follows;
1. Defining objective of the analysis
2. Defining scope of that analysis
3. Collection of the background data
4. Collection of additional data by undertaking interviews, performing observations
5. Interpreting the collected data and then creating suitable action plan.
Cradle-to-gate
In contrast to the above waste reduction life cycle approach, cradle to gate assessment
is alternatively identified by partial product life cycle. It explains the extraction of resources
or cradle towards the factory gate (before the product transported to the end consumer). In
this case, the use phase along with the disposal stage of the product are neglected. In addition
to that, this type of design assessments mainly used for the waste reduction of the
environmental product declarations (EPD). In the initial stage, this life model focuses on
collecting all of the data related to the purchase of resources and materials needed to proceed
the production process. These data are further used in the manufacturing process in order to
create the cradle to gate values of the products.
Cradle-to-cradle design
This type of life cycle assessment is also called closed loop production. In relation to
the waste reduction, Cradle to cradle design is expressed as an efficient and sustainable
business strategy, which focuses on the regenerative cycle. Basically, the waste reduction
here is achieved by simply reusing the wastes (Shukla et al.2017). The primary objective of

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this approach is to create one cyclical process rather than a linear one like a cradle to grave
process. The primary intention of this approach is reduce the waste generation. Going a step
further, this approach focuses on eliminating the waste altogether. Comparing the waste
reduction approach of all the approaches, it can be said that a Cradle to cradle approach is
comparatively beneficial as it focuses on eliminating the total wastage.
Design of Cradle to cradle life cycle
The impact of a product on the environment is majorly depends on how exactly it is
being designed. According to this approach, all the products are created as per the principle
of a circular economy. This model further indicates that waste is created, but these wastes are
further added to a new process (Russell-Smith and Lepech 2015). Using nature as an essential
model the systems or products are designed for reabsorbing the obsolete materials. The
materials are designed back into the system so that it can be reuses. As any kind of waste is
not discarded here; therefore, it is called a close loop production. According to Toxopeus, De
Koeijer and Meij 2015), in a cradle to cradle design, the waste products are considered to be
nutrients for any other process. Mainly, there are two type of nutrients: biological and
technical. In a biological cycle all the materials used, returned back to the biosphere in form
of different type of nutrients or compost, from this new materials are generated. On other
hand, in the technical life cycle, the materials that are not used in the production process are
reprocessed and used in producing new products (Chonga et al. 2015).

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(Figure 1: Biological and technical cycle of cradle to cradle design approach)
Source: (Bjørn and Hauschild 2013)
Challenges of cradle to cradle design
In reducing and managing the production waste, this design offers higher opportunity,
yet there exists certain challenges that hinders its functionality. The main challenge occurs
when the company has a reverse logistic system. This can affect the business model of this
organization. In addition, many of the products are monstrous hybrid, which are combination
of technical and biological nutrients. In such case, a design disassembly occur (that means
removing parts without any damage become difficult). This challenges also create major
issue as recycling of those product become difficult. Biodegradability creates another issue in
this case, as applying different materials which are biological nutrients, might circumvent
several system level issues of implementing the discussed design solution (Drabe and Herstatt
2016). Therefore, before designing such solution to minimize the waste, organizations need
to pay attention to the above challenges.

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Design recommendations
Considering the above challenges, and preserving the nature in every possible way,
fostering sustainable industrial system which will support the three sustainability bottom line
(which are, profit, planet and people) is essential. The Cradle to Cradle (C2C) production
system operates with an ideology that no single material will be wasted in the last stage of the
product life cycle, rather these waste will act as nourishment for further production process
(Silvestre, De Brito and Pinheiro 2014). The fundamental design concept that the C2C design
need to focus on are as follows;
1. The product design can be performed in such a manner that after completing its one
life, it will be re used for generating a new product. In simple terms, there will be no
wastage in nature. The production life cycle will always follow a close loop. As
whole, C2C design will promote the product design method where constituent
materials will be retraced for any other product.
2. All the Industries need to be designed in such a manner that, utilization of the
renewable sources such as sunlight, water and air will stay in focus for reducing the
waste generation and dependency on energy and other natural resources.
3. No competition will be there for depleting the natural resources. Alternatively, the
environment will experience the abundance of different material moving from one
cycle to other without being necessarily wasted after every single cycle.
Moreover, the designing of C2C model should ensure that a particular product will cause no
harm to the nature. Therefore, following stages can be considered as design recommendation
for redesigning a product.
1. List of all the hazardous material: Several carcinogenic materials (for example
Cadmium, Lead, PVC, chlorine and many such) need to be taken out of the market. It

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is necessary for the organizations to ensure that no product will utilize these harmful
materials.
2. Material information: The Product designer need to have sufficient knowledge
regarding all the materials they are going to use in the production process. Creating a
materials info-sheet is essential every materials in the life cycle assessment model.
This info-sheet will help the production manager to select all the materials by
analysing the ecological impact (Binnemans et al. 2015).
3. Adopting innovation in the product development process will help to provide positive
contribution to the environment and also create major technical nutrient for further
product development process.
Before designing any product, using a close loop life cycle model (that is C2C design)
five product standards need to be considered for better designing and improved waste
reduction. These are, material reutilization, material heath, water stewardship, carbon
management and social fairness. Under the material health, identification of all the
constituent materials of the product are performed and categorized into technical and
biological nutrients (Llorach-Massana, Farreny and Oliver-Sola2015). The environmental
profile related to the material are analysed and reviewed; thereby gathering information about
the hazardous effect of the materials. The renewable and recyclable contents of the product
along with the calculation of overall reutilization percentage are performed under the material
reutilization phase. The product design also ensure no carbon emission by conducting
organized industrial functionalities. The water Stewardship standard focuses towards
reducing the water stress and cleaner effluent.